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EXHIBIT TITLE IMAGE 1 Stereo Tintype, c. 19th Century, 2017.1.86.2.JPG

Wing History Museum Permanent Collection:
“Simon Wing: Father of
American Photography”

 The Wing History Museum's permanent collection features Simon Wing (1829-1910), a 19th century daguerreotypist, inventor, international entrepreneur, and radical politician. ​

On display are several of Simon’s studio cameras (several of which were patented), and hundreds of rare, intimate family images and photographs. The collection documents seven generations of his children and their descendants who all inherited his artistic and rebellious spirit.

As a founding member of the American Socialist Labor Party, Simon Wing was their first candidate to run for President of the United States in 1892. His platform included mail-in ballots, formation of unions, women's suffrage, equal rights, removal of the gold standard and pursuing renewable energy. Simon's handwritten campaign speeches are undergoing archival preservation and will be on display soon. 

This rare, vast private collection remained with Simon Wing's direct descendants until 2016. The generous contributions of Wing family members allowed for the creation of the Wing History Museum to share this unique collection with the public.

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